In boxing, kickboxing and mixed martial arts, a gatekeeper is a skillful and well-regarded fighter, but one who does not have the popularity or brilliance of a title contender. They are considered to be a cut above most journeymen. A gatekeeper will often have an impressive record in terms of wins versus losses but will have a difficult time getting people behind them and especially obtaining promotion. They are often seen as a "stepping-stone" for potential title contenders to prove their worth against.
Characteristics
Gatekeepers will frequently have the following characteristics:
- They're sometimes relegated to fight contenders to boost the contender's stock shortly before a title fight.[1]
Notable examples
The following fighters have all been described as gatekeepers:[1][2][3][4][5]
- Monte Barrett
- Edison Miranda
- Jameel McCline
- Raymond Joval
- Earnie Shavers
- Ross Puritty
- Bert Cooper
- Saul Montana
- Dennis Bakhtov
- Yordenis Ugas
- Robert Hawkins
- Friday Ahunanya
- Vaughn Bean
- Przemyslaw Saleta
- Louis Monaco
- Danny García
- José Ribalta
- Tony Thompson
- Chris Arreola
- Felix Verdejo
Notable MMA examples
- Gary Goodridge
- Karolina Kowalkiewicz
- Marion Reneau
- Jeremy Stephens
- Tecia Torres
- Cat Zingano
- Donald Cerrone
- Michael Johnson
- Diego Sanchez
- Jorge Masvidal
- Clay Guida
See also
References
- ^ a b Ondrizek, Troy (1 October 2006). "The Most Important Fighter in Boxing History". East Side Boxing. Archived from the original on 3 April 2012.
- ^ "Edison Miranda as The Gatekeeper? Tough Gate - Boxing News". boxingscene.com. 12 May 2009.
- ^ Blake Hochberger (15 May 2012). "I Like Marquez Over Judah, Ward Over Dawson And..." The Sweet Science.
- ^ "Monte Barrett: The Gatekeeper Cometh". saddoboxing.com.
- ^ "Adam Kownacki gets unanimous decision over Chris Arreola as both heavyweights break CompuBox record". sportingnews.com. 12 August 2021.
This page was last edited on 1 March 2024, at 01:32